Under the vision of line Minister, Senator the Honourable Ganga Singh, the Water and Sewerage Authority of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (WASA) and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT) have commenced a long-term Programme to improve and expand the existing wastewater management services and facilities, as well as implement the institutional and operational reforms needed, towards strengthening and improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its wastewater services. With Minister Singh’s unwavering support, and under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer Mr. Gerard Yorke and Director Programmmes and Change Management Mr. Ramchand Ramcharan, as well as the support of the Board of Commissioners of WASA, on January 19th 2013 the GORTT signed Loan Contract No.2890/OC-TT with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to finance the Multi-Phase Wastewater Rehabilitation Programme – Phase I, in the amount of Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$246,500,000). This Loan is the largest loan provided to any single country in the Western Hemisphere. The initiatives under this loan are:

• Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant, Collection System and Sewer Service Connections for the Malabar Wastewater Catchments – Phase 1
• Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Plant, Collection System and Sewer Service Connections for the San Fernando Wastewater Catchments – Phase 1
• Construction of a 28m span Bridge and 380m Access Road to the San Fernando WWTP
• Institutional Strengthening of WASA, in the areas of Training, Environmental Management, and Commercial Operations
• Improve Corporate Governance, through corporate governance policies, improvement of the current information management policies and disclosure practices, training on risk management and control systems and establishment of permanent financial statement teams to strengthen auditing and internal control practices.

Phase 2 of the multiphase Programme which is in the amount of One Hundred Million United States Dollars (US$100,000,000.00) will continue necessary institutional strengthening and integrate the sewerage network for connection to the WWTP constructed in Phase 1. Phase 3 which is in the amount of Two Hundred Million (US$200,000,000.00) will expand the wastewater collection system to cover the population in the catchment areas that are currently on septic tanks and other individual sanitation solutions. These phases are in the planning stage.